Pyrotechnic device



Oct. 25, 1966 5, BROWN 3,280,744

PYROTECHNIC DEVICE Filed May 24, 1965 INVENTOR 7 PAUL E. snow/v ATT'O RNEYS United States Patent 3,280,744 PYROTECHNIC DEVICE Paul E. Brown, Box 422, Clinton, M0. Filed May 24, 1965, Ser. No. 458,296 3 Claims. (Cl. 102-314) This invention relates to pyrotechnic devices, and more particularly to base or support portions thereof.

Heretofore, pyrotechnic devices such as rockets, fuses, fountains and the like, have had the powder or combustible material containing portion mounted on base blocks usually of wood with a fiat surface for engagement with the ground or other support while the device is ignited and fired. If such a base member surface is placed on a hard support such as concrete, hard earth or the like, that is rough and uneven, or has particles such as gravel and the like thereon, the pyrotechnic device may be tipped or is otherwise unstable. When such a device is placed on the ground where there is grass or other vegetation, again the flat surface of the base has nonuniform engagement and support and is unstable. When such devices are positioned in an unstable condition, they may be ti ped over during ignition or firing, creating a hazard to the surroundings.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a pyrotechnic device with a support structure that will provide stability to the device when positioned on hard surfaces or on the ground; to provide such a structure with a base member that has a recess to receive a portion of the charged body and a plurality of widely spaced rigid projections depending therefrom and adapted to engage a support surface to provide a multiple point support for the device; to provide such a structure wherein the charged portion of the device is tubular and the base member provides a wall that closes the lower end of the tubular member; to provide such a base structure particularly adapted for quantity production and that is economical to manufacture, easily assembled onto the charged portion, and that will provide a stable support on uneven or rough surfaces and thereby eliminate hazards created by unstable support of pyrotechnic devices.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pyrotechnic device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base member.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the pyrotechnic device with a lower portion broken away to illustrate the mounting of the charged tubular member on the base.

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view showing the supporting penetration of base projections in earth,

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational view showing the base projections in supporting engagement with a hard surface.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a pyrotechnic device such as rockets, fuses, fountains and the like having a portion 2 charged with powder or other suitable combustible material and a base member 3 secured to the portion 2 in supporting relation thereto. In the structure illustrated, the device 1 includes a charged portion 2 having a tubular body 4 which is formed of suitable materials such as cardboard or wound paper to define walls 5 containing powder or other suitable combustible materials 6.

The base member 3 is preferably formed of suitable synthetic resin that is relatively rigid and consists of a body member 7 having a top opening recess 8 for receiving the lower end 9 of the tube wall 5. In the structure illustrated, the body member 7 is generally in the form of a flat circular disc with a depending circular reinforcing rib 10 with the recess 8 being a circular groove to receive the lower end 9 of the wall 5 as illustrated in FIG. 3. With this structure, the central portion 11 of the base member forms a closing wall to the lower end of the powder containing body 4.

It is to be understood that the powder containing body 4 may be of any shape or size depending upon the particular type of pyrotechnic device as, for example, with fountains or the like, a fuse would be arranged in the upper end for ignition and progressive burning downwardly through the tubular container. With rockets or the like, the upper end portion 12 of the tube is suitably closed as at 13 by a retainer cover to hold the powder or combustible material 6 in the confines of the body 4. With this structure, the walls 5 have a lateral aperture 14 into which extends a suitable fuse 15 with the inner end of the fuse in contact with the powder or combustible material 6 whereby upon ignition of the fuse its burning will effect ignition of the powder and firing of the device. To provide suitable support for the base and pyrotechnic device thereon, it is preferred that the lower end 9 of the tubular wall 5 be fixed to the body member 7 by being a tight press fit therein and also preferably for additional positive connection they are preferably glued together by glue as to 16.

A plurality of support members 17 are mounted on the base body member 7 and depend therefrom, said support members having substantially wide spacing. In the structure illustrated, the base body member 7 has an annular portion extending laterally outwardly from the lower end of the tube walls 5 and the members 17 are adjacent the periphery 18 of the body member 7 and are each blunt tipped rigid projections integral with the body member. The members or projections 17 preferably taper from the body member 7 to a reduced lower end 19 whereby said lower ends or points are of such small size that they can be forced easily into earth or the like as at 20 to provide an engagement and firm stable support for the pyrotechnic device carried by the base. Also, the lower ends or point 19 is preferably slightly flattened to provide load support engagement with a hard surface 21 or the like such as concrete or other paving with the plurality of projections and the spacing thereof providing a widely spaced multiple point supporting engagement with the surface 21 so as to have adequate and stable support even though the surface 21 is uneven or has loose particles such as gravel and the like thereon.

With the pyrotechnic device having a base constructed and assembled as described, the device is adapted for stable support on earth or hard surfaces even though there is grass or other vegetation on the earth or loose particles such as gravel and the like on the hard surface. This assures a stability whereby the fuse 15 may be ignited with assurance that the device will fire in the direction in which the portion 2 extends from the supported base.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pyrotechnic device comprising,

(a) a tubular member having a charge of combustible material therein, said tubular member having a lower end,

(b) a one piece base member having a body portion secured to the tubular member at said lower end in 3 covering relation thereto and a circumferential flange portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom,

(c) and a plurality of circumferentially spaced blunt tipped rigid projections integral with and depending from one face of the flange portion for engagement with a support surface for multiple point support, said projections being tapered for facilitating insertion into an earth surface.

2. A pyrotechnic device comprising,

(a) a base member formed in one piece and having a body member with an upwardly opening recess, (b) a tubular member having a wall defining an in ternal chamber containing a charge of combustible material therein,

() a fuse extending into said chamber in contact with the combustible material for ignition of same,

((1) said tubular member having a lower end portion extending in said body portion recess and fixed thereto positioning said tubular member in upstanding relation to said base member, said body portion having an annular portion extending laterally outwardly from said recess,

(e) and a plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced blunt tipped rigid projections integral with and depending from the annular portion adjacent the periphery thereof and adapted to engage a support surface for multiple point support engagement therewith, said projections being tapered for facilitating insertion into an earth surface.

3. A pyrotechnic device comprising,

(a) a tubular member having a charge of combustible material therein,

(b) a base member having a body portion secured to the tubular member and extending laterally outwardly therefrom,

(c) a plurality of spaced blunt tipped rigid projections depending from one face of the body portion for engagement with a support surface for multiple point support, said projections being tapered for facilitating insertion into an earth surface,

(d) said body portion being disk shaped and having an annular support means on said one face thereof, the other face of said disk shaped body portion having an annular groove extending completely through said body portion and partially through said annular support, said groove defining a circular internal disk connected to said support means and having a diameter equal to the internal diameter of said tubular means, said groove receiving one end of said tubular member and said internal disk forming a closure for said one end of said tubular member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 385,032 6/1888 Willis 102 37.4

555,332 2/1896 Rathbun 102 31 753,151 2/1904 Lloyd 102 34.2 1,280,445 10/1918 Grace 248163 2,053,454 9/1936 Whiteside 102-374 2,070,882 2/1937 Brown 10237.4X 2,095,490 10/1937 Decker 102 37.4X 2,821,922 2/1958 Brown et a1. 102-342 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,110 4/1947 Canada.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. ROBERT F. STAHL, Examiner. 

1. A PYROTECHNIC DEVICE COMPRISING, (A) A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A CHARGE OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL THEREIN, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A LOWER END, (B) A ONE PIECE BASE MEMBER HAVING A BODY PORTION SECURED TO THE TUBULAR MEMBER AT SAID LOWER END IN COVERING RELATION THERETO AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL FLANGE PORTION EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWADLY THEREFROM, (C) AND A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED BLUNT TIPPED RIGID PROJECTIONS INTEGRAL WITH AND DEPENDING FROM ONE FACE OF THE FLANGE PORTION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A SUPPORT SURFACE FOR MULTIPLE POINT SUPPORT, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING TAPERED FOR FACILITATING INSERTION INTO AN EARTH SURFACE. 